


There's Someone Meant For You

by cuupid



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family Fluff, Gen, KakaGai Week 2019, M/M, Mutual Pining, this was supposed to be a one-shot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-19 07:07:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,504
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22007083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cuupid/pseuds/cuupid
Summary: When Kakashi agrees to look after Naruto and Ruriko for Iruka and Yamato while they're on honeymoon, he doesn't expect it to be THAT much different from babysitting the two children every once in a while. That's until he's standing in front of container after container of baby formula at 11pm and trying to stop himself from having a panic attack in the middle of a convenience store.Thank God for kind and beautiful strangers, though.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy, Rock Lee & Maito Gai | Might Guy, Umino Iruka/Yamato Tenzou (Background)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51





	There's Someone Meant For You

**Author's Note:**

> i'm so many days behind but this was written for kkg week day 1➝ dads ! only one of them is actually a dad here but let's shh 
> 
> title taken from someone's someone by monsta x ! enjoy ♡

Kakashi would be lying if he said he wasn't feeling a little overwhelmed. Standing in the aisle of a small twenty-four hour convenience store and staring at about fifty different containers of formula, he would be lying, too, if he said that _a little_ was an overstatement. 

He wanted to shrivel up into a tight ball until the next week passed and Iruka and Yamato returned home. 

"You can do this, Hatake," he breathed out, pounding his fist into his palm and gritting his teeth. "You've raised Rottweilers and Akita and almost climbed Everest that one time, you can choose the right formula."

His hand, reaching for the _HaiHai_ , hovered in the air between the can and his body. On second thought, and he slowly retracted his arm, maybe he couldn't. 

Part of him— the part of Kakashi that knew if he was gone for much longer he'd have to start fielding calls from his neighbour, Kaori, demanding his return— wanted to grab the first tin that looked remotely like the one Iruka had left behind, and go. 

He ran his hands over his face. Counted his breaths. It wasn't fair to leave his neighbour with two young children, not when it was nearing midnight and when she also had one of her own; neither was it fair to not put any real thought into this. And was he having a breakdown in the middle of the store? Probably.

It wouldn't be the first time. It wouldn't be the last time. 

A throat clearing from behind him broke through the haze slowly descending over Kakashi's mind. It came again, and the careful, "Hey there," that followed forced him from what was making out to be an unsteady spiral. He spun around and stilled as he met a pair of dark eyes, large and concerned and framed by a head of thick black hair, and a wide, cautious smile. "First time?" the man asked.

"Huh?" Kakashi asked, because it was late and he was stressed and maybe it was the sleep deprivation talking but he was sure he'd just laid eyes on the most attractive man he'd ever seen in his life. 

"First time, as in are you a first time parent?" the man repeated, gesturing at the formula. "There's no shame in needing help with raising children! But it _does matter_ how old they are, which one you buy." He reached past Kakashi and lifted a bright box, _Meiji Hohoemi Powder_ written across its front in large block letters. Kakashi couldn't look away, and he just kept talking. "This one's Lee's favourite. You know, it's about as similar to mother's milk as you can get… apart from mother's milk, that is."

Kakashi stared at him, open-mouthed under the collar pulled up around half of his face. The man's brow furrowed and, oh, it wasn't just the sleep deprivation. 

"Lee?" Kakashi asked. Gripping onto threads and slipping his hands into his pockets, he leaned slightly back. 

_Get a grip,_ he thought, and cast the man a smile he couldn't really see. 

"The pride of my life, my son! No matter how many times I tell him that a boy needs to rest in order to grow into a strong man like myself _he_ _insists_ that snack shopping before the weekend has just as many benefits," he smiled as he spoke. 

It was late. Kakashi scratched at the side of his nose. "Why not buy the snacks earlier?" 

"Oh, no! He prefers this!" 

Kakashi laughed, and only when the man returned it with one of his own, a short and melodious thing, did he feel tension seep from his shoulders. 

"I'm not a parent, but I'm babysitting for my friends while they're away on honeymoon," he explained, taking the proffered formula. "He left me with one of these and you don't think they get finished so fast until you're staring at your last spoonful of the stuff." 

The man frowned thinly, his eyebrows pulling down into something almost threatening. "Who's looking after them right now?" The edge in his voice was barely noticeable, but it was there. 

"My neighbour's looking after them right now!" he said quickly. Kakashi could imagine that he already seemed incompetent, the last thing he wanted was for this man to think he was a horrible person, too. "She let me use some of her formula to feed Ruriko before I left. That's the, uh, that's the baby." 

He softened into a smile. "Ah, wonderful, truly wonderful. Nothing brings the community together like a single parent with a baby, I found that out myself," he said, hoisting his basket off the floor. "How old is she?" 

Nodding, Kakashi had to force himself to stop focusing on _single parent,_ or the distinct lack of a wedding band on the man's fingers. 

He didn't even know his name, for crying out loud. But, God, did he want to know, and anything else he was willing to share. 

"There's two of them, actually. Naruto's five and Ruriko is seven months," Kakashi answered, remembering the question and burning under the man's unmoving gaze. He tucked a finger between the high collar and his face and tugged, enough to let hot air out but not enough to reveal much of his face. "Honestly? I'm a little out of my depth."

Brushing strands of thick hair aside, only for them to fall back into place as if never moved at all, the man opened his mouth as if to say something. 

Kakashi fiddled with the container and waited. 

But nothing came, because a boy who didn't seem any older than Naruto staggered into the aisle. His arms overflowed with packets of sweets and biscuits, and he was very much a miniature version of the man before him. 

Same brown skin as the man across from him, same set of brows and head of hair— there was no doubt in his mind that this was Lee; that they were father and son. 

"Poppa!" loudly, Lee said, words almost a shout, excited and ringing in the late night quiet of the store. "I have decided to try liquorice again!"

"But you said you hate liquorice." Warmth flooded his eyes and his voice, and Kakashi found himself unable to look anywhere else. Again. 

Lee dropped his mound of sweets into the basket. "Neji-kun said that I'm missing out, so I'm going to try it again to prove him wrong!" 

That didn't make much sense to Kakashi, but the man's mouth had drawn into a straight line and he nodded sharply. "Did you get anything you like, too? To challenge yourself is important, but it is not as important as enjoying the pleasures of life!" He lifted his hand in a fist that Lee, face pulled into an adorably serious frown, swiftly mimicked. 

Kakashi chuckled to himself. 

Everything that came out of this man's mouth filled him with as much confusion as it did intrigue. 

The man turned back to Kakashi and smiled. "Look—" he paused. A pale pink coloured the tops of his cheeks and he held out a hand. "If you need help with anything— I'm no expert, but I've been doing this for a long time." 

"What?" And he wanted to slap himself. 

"Your phone," he said, fingers flexing. "If you're ever feeling a little out of your depth again, you should have someone to call. Someone who's a bit more experienced."

"I could be a horrible person for all you know. Someone you can't trust at all."

That warm smile graced his face, and he shook his head. "You have kind eyes. Besides, I'm sure I could beat you in a fight," he said, around a pleasant laugh. He hadn't yet dropped his hand. "Now, your phone?" 

Kakashi swallowed. 

Most days, he didn't really believe in God, but he figured there must be one that favoured him if this was happening. 

He handed over his phone, an old thing he should have replaced months ago, and watched the man enter his number. 

At least now he would know his name. 

"Thanks," he said, taking the phone back and glancing down at the screen, "Maito Gai-san."

"Of course!" Gai said, loud and almost startling. He held out his hand and raised an eyebrow, "And you are…?" 

"Oh." Kakashi stuck the formula under his other arm. "Kakashi."

Gai smiled again, honey-slow and honey-smooth, and it was a smile Kakashi could get used to seeing, he thought, as hands clasped around each other and they shook, Kakashi's touch lingering for perhaps a moment too long. 

If Gai noticed, he didn't say anything. But his eyes shone. 

Lee started tugging at Gai's pants and Gai slipped his hand free. "We'll miss the midnight feature if we leave too late. He always falls asleep but…" Gai drifted off, waving a hand without direction, his eyes distant and his smile true. "Don't hesitate to call me, Kakashi-san."

He scooped Lee up with so little difficulty Kakashi's eyebrows raised somewhat of their own accord. Kakashi had felt some of that strength in the firmness of his grip, and he wanted badly not to think of how strong Gai possibly was. 

He bowed forward, slightly. "I won't," Kakashi said, lifting his gaze and watching him walk away. 

Half-turning towards him, Gai threw a slow wave and a grin that seemed to sparkle over his shoulder. Both, that Kakashi was only too quick to return. 

Tracing his eyes over the formula Gai gave him, after he disappeared around the corner, Kakashi absently wondered what a believable disaster would look like. What would be enough to warrant the man's attention one more time? 

They had met by chance, and a large part of his mind insisted he let the rest of their relationship work itself out in the same fashion. 

It made sense. Somehow. 

Waiting in line to pay, Kakashi thumbed a quick _just so you have my number too_ into a blank chat and sent it to Gai. 

The cashier rang up his purchase and glanced his way at his small jump when his phone vibrated almost instantly in his hand. He let out a low laugh, more an exhale of breath, at the thumbs up and pair of sparkle emojis that greeted him; beamed, stupidly, at the _saved!!!!!_ that followed soon after, and was grateful nobody but him knew it was there. 

* * *

Naruto had fallen asleep on Kaori's sofa, with his little sister curled up against his side. 

Kakashi smiled down at them as Kaori fetched the shirt she had to change Ruriko out of, the baby burping milk down its front. They were peaceful and sweet while they slept in a way that they weren't while awake. Kakashi sent a dozen pictures to Iruka and shook his head, fondly, at the line after line of crying emojis that came through almost immediately. 

They were supposed to be enjoying their time together without any distractions, but it wouldn't be a surprise to Kakashi if he and Yamato had spent the greater part of the last week worrying over and missing their children. 

"Be more prepared next time," Kaori demanded, shuffling into the room and handing the shirt to Kakashi. "They're good kids but if you wake me up for this again I _will_ file a complaint against you."

"It won't happen again, I promise." Kakashi raised his hands, half in surrender and half in mock appeasement. "Thank you so much, Kaori-san. I am in your debt."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, just get out. I'm exhausted."

Kakashi and Kaori had lived on the same floor for almost four years. They'd gone from cordial neighbours to reluctant friends to coming to know each other so well that often politeness seemed not to be worth the effort. Laughter tingeing the lines around his eyes, he rolled his eyes. 

Prying Ruriko free from Naruto's clutches, Kakashi settled the baby on his hip and tried not to cringe at the line of drool seeping into his shoulder.

As gentle as possible, he shook Naruto awake.

"Go away," Naruto pushed at Kakashi's hand and grumbled.

"Hey. Wake up."

Naruto peered up at him, eyes two slits of bright blue. "Kaka-nii-san?" 

"Yeah, it's me," he said, creasing his eyes up into a smile. "Come on, wake up so we can go home." 

Throwing his arms over his head, Naruto groaned. "Carry me."

Kakashi readjusted Ruriko. He was tired and he didn't trust himself to carry both children at once. Gai could though; Kakashi doubted that he ever exhausted, or that he's exhaustion weakened him any. 

He flicked Naruto on the shoulder instead, and Naruto took it for what it was— a firm no. Bundling himself in his blanket, and almost falling off the couch, Naruto shot a tired glare at Kakashi. "You're so mean to me," he complained, rubbing the back of his hand over his eyes, and latching onto Kakashi's pants leg. 

Thanking Kaori one last time, Kakashi left and hurried to put both children to bed. 

* * *

Kakashi woke to jumping on his bed and a high voice yelling, "Kaka-nii-san! Kaka-nii-san! Kaka-nii-san!" without any pause. 

He cracked an eye open and Naruto squealed. "You're awake!" he yelled, flopping on his back and spreading his arms and legs like he was making snow angels. 

"What's the time?" 

"Dunno." Naruto shrugged. "But you have to wake up now! You have to get ready for Sasuke and Sakura!" 

Kakashi blinked at his bedside clock. His hopes of a restful sleep threw themselves out the window after Ruriko had woken up twice during the night— once for a bottle of milk, and then for a diaper change. Three hours of sleep settled horribly on him, and he could only imagine the heavy bags under his eyes. 

Pulling himself from his bed, Kakashi tried to hold in his sigh. Naruto's chatter was incessant, even this early, and Kakashi wondered why he'd agreed to this. 

Maybe because Iruka and Yamato were old friends of his and they deserved to enjoy some time just to themselves, or maybe it was because deep down he hated himself and was growing tired of full nights of sleep. Either one seemed to fit. 

"Hey, you okay?" Naruto stopped his talking to ask. The boy had a set of crooked teeth, one missing in the front that Kakashi had wrapped at Naruto's insistence that his fathers needed to see, and a face that never hid what he felt, right now Kakashi could imagine it pulled down into a confused frown. "Kaka-nii-san?" he asked, scrambling across the bed and hanging off of Kakashi's shoulders. 

Kakashi exhaled slowly. "Yeah," he said. And he reached around him to rub at Naruto's hair. There was the third option; that he loved his friends and he loved these children, even if he wasn't the best choice to be looking after them. "I'm okay."

"Good," Naruto said. He watched Kakashi for a short moment and then went right back to telling him about how amazing Sasuke was at hide-and-seek and how he had tried for their whole lunch break to find him but couldn't. And "Do you know where he was hiding? He wasn't!" all in one single breath. 

Kakashi had only met Naruto's friends once before, at Iruka's house during a very similar playdate. But Naruto talked so much about them, there were things Kakashi could recite off memory. 

Naruto still clinging to him, Kakashi stood. 

He carried him on his back as he made his way to Ruriko's room, nodding where appropriate and offering little _ooh_ s and _aah_ s where needed and trying to sound enthusiastic when he agreed that yes, Sasuke was very cool indeed. 

Laughter greeted Kakashi as he entered the spare room in which Yamato had helped him set up a cot. Ruriko grabbed for him and Kakashi happily obliged, cradling her to his chest and making sure not to disturb Naruto too much. 

"Ha!" she mouthed, giving them a toothless smile. 

Naruto gave her his finger and burst into a fit of laughter when she held it in a tight fist. "Sasuke has a big brother and sometimes his big brother tells me about how he used to carry Sasuke like this!" Naruto said, craning his head around Kakashi's shoulder to peer at Ruriko.

"Oh, really?" Kakashi asked. 

Naruto nodded his head vigorously, and fell into the now familiar spiel. He wondered, absently, as he walked them to the kitchen, just how many stories Naruto had of the boy who, when not Naruto's 'rival' was Naruto's best friend. 

He placed Ruriko into her highchair and leaned back so that Naruto could drop himself onto one of the barstools lining the kitchen island. 

Breakfast followed a particular routine that, when Kakashi had first offered to babysit, when Naruto was a few years older than Ruriko was now, Iruka had spent a good half hour explaining until Kakashi got it as close to right to please Iruka. 

"For someone who lived mainly off cup ramen for all of college you really are fussy with him," Kakashi had teased, bumping his shoulder into Iruka's and jostling him enough to see his face pull into an irritated scowl. 

Iruka had shoved him away. "It's _because_ I lived mainly off cup ramen that I'm fussy with him. He needs to eat properly and, I swear to God, Kakashi, if you fuck it up I'll never allow you to cook for him again."

Kakashi had raised his hands in defeat and surrendered. 

The threat, for however empty they both knew it was, never ceased to effectively get Kakashi to give in to Iruka. 

And, if Kakashi thought Iruka would ease up with the arrival of his and Yamato's daughter, Kakashi was fairly mistaken. 

"If you fuck it up…" Iruka had threatened, handing Ruriko over the hour before they had to get to the airport. The sentence hung unfinished, but his eyes were two fierce dots of black and Kakashi had been on the receiving end of Iruka's wrath enough times to know not to do anything to aggravate him. 

So, Kakashi scratched at the back of his head and listened as Naruto mimicked Ruriko's baby murmuring to carry out half a conversation with her, as he followed Iruka's porridge recipe to the tee. 

He often made variations, but that was just the cook in him seeping through, and as long as it was still healthy, Iruka didn't mind. Well, he didn't mind too much. 

He dished out a bowl for Naruto and helped Ruriko with her bottle of milk. 

He'd have to feed her a little bit of solid food at lunch, Kakashi reminded himself, _tsk_ ing as a line of milk escaped her mouth and ran down her chin. 

"So cute!" Naruto yelled, stretching across the island to wipe the milk away. 

Naruto had taken to being a big brother so easily, Kakashi's heart ached. He remembered how lonely the boy had been, how sad and quick to anger, when he was first adopted by Iruka.

Kakashi smiled and by the time breakfast ended and both children were freshly bathed— and Kakashi had somehow managed to squeeze a moment to shower, himself— he sank into the couch and let out a sigh. 

He was going to need a massage and a week of rest after this, Kakashi thought handing Ruriko another toy and making sure there were no choking hazards anywhere on the floor, by the coffee table where she had made herself at home.

Exhaustion itched across his body and he wondered how people did this everyday.

"Be careful," he warned, and narrowed his eyes as she returned his unblinking stare. Ruriko's mouth widened in a toothless grin and Kakashi couldn't help but chuckle shortly in kind. 

He heard a sharp knock from the door, and Naruto's excited scream of "Sasuke's here!" rang through the apartment before Kakashi could even begin to stand. A streak of bright yellow, only recognizable as Naruto after a moment, sped past him and through the living room, throwing the front door wildly open. 

Steadily, he pulled his collar around his face. All his masks were in the wash since Thursday and, lazy to clean them, he was making do with the few of the sweaters he'd had specially made. 

"Sasuke! Sakura-chan!" Naruto's voice, loud, rang out around the apartment, and Kakashi slipped into the kitchen as the children walked in, talking with ease. 

"Whose apartment is this, Naruto? Did you move?" the pink haired girl who Kakashi gathered was Sakura, asked, arms crossing over her chest as she looked around the room. Kakashi thought he saw her nose turn up, but he couldn't be certain. "It's not as nice as your old home," she said.

And Kakashi felt his eye drop lower. 

"I didn't move, it's Kaka-nii-san's home! I told you about him, Sakura-chan!" Naruto pouted. He lead them to where Kakashi had dutifully piled all of Naruto's best toys earlier. "We're staying here because Dad and Yamato-san are on their honeymoon."

Naruto pointed to Kakashi, standing in the kitchen over a tray of crackers he'd emptied just to look busy, and Kakashi offered them a lazy wave. "Yo," he said. 

The children blinked at him for a long few seconds before turning their backs on him and starting to build what looked like a wall around Ruriko. He exhaled. Pressed his fingers against his eyes and counted to ten. And counted to ten again. 

Dropping his head against the countertop, Kakashi stuffed three dry crackers into his mouth to stifle his groan. He was _almost_ _definitely_ out of his depth; Gai could help him here, he knew. But "hey, I can barely look after two kids please help me look after four" didn't much feel the kind of thing to say to the man he was interested in. 

So he tidied the kitchen and picked up around the children as they moved from one end of the flat to the other and he picked up Ruriko when Sasuke poking her cheek started to make her cry, and he tried not to think too much about all the ways he could mess up. 

An hour later, when Kakashi was patting himself on the back for doing such a good job at not breaking down, the children's calls of "hey, what food do you have here?" and "when's lunch?" and "Kaka-nii-san, are you going to eat all those crackers by yourself?" were only growing more insistent. 

Had he eaten as often when he was their age? He busied himself in the kitchen and couldn't quite remember. And, after placing plates and plates of finger foods— mini pizzas and cheese crackers and sweets that he _hoped_ Naruto wouldn't mention to his fathers— Kakashi started on Ruriko's lunch. And that's when he really did have slap himself across the forehead. 

"Shit, I'm an idiot," he murmured, half his attention on Ruriko, her plump hands seeking out things to hit on, and half of his attention on finding his phone. 

He pumped the air, finding the phone hidden under a pile of cloths, and pulled up the first person he could think of. _You don't happen to have any carrots, do you?_ he asked, trying not to sound frantic. 

Ruriko picked up an old and Kakashi swiped it away before she could put it in her mouth. "I really need to do a better job at baby-proofing, don't I, sweetheart?" he asked, nodding his head in exaggerated sweeps, and tapped his fingers against the countertop as he waited for the responding text. 

He could always ask Kaori, Kakashi thought, but he really didn't want to worry her again. Not so soon. 

His phone vibrated dangerously with an incoming call. Kakashi was a little taken aback to find that it was Gai. "Hey—" he began, only to be cut off by an enthusiastic greeting. 

"Carrots?" he asked, and he sounded a little out of breath. 

It was a nice sound, Kakashi could admit. 

"I need to make a carrot mash for Ruriko's lunch, but I forgot to buy some. I don't have anything else I can use and I can't really leave right now," he said, trying his best to explain and fearing he was doing it horribly. A man's voice, distant in the background and tinny over the phone, asked Gai if he was almost done and Kakashi felt a deep blush travel up his face. "Sorry," he sputtered, "if you're busy I'll just— I'll— Okay—" 

"It's nothing, Kakashi-san. I'm with a client, but I can see you in twenty minutes," Gai assured, voice quietened.

 _Client_. And he realized that neither knew anything about the other. 

Kakashi nodded. Met with silence, he remembered Gai couldn't see him. "Sure," he said. "Uh. You can bring Lee, too, if you want. Naruto's having a playdate with some friends, I'm sure they'll get along." 

"They're around the same age, aren't they? Naruto's five?" 

"Yeah." For some reason, Kakashi was happy that Gai remembered. 

"Then I'll bring him."

They shared quick goodbyes and Kakashi attempted to tide Ruriko over with a bite of that morning's leftovers until he could make her a proper lunch. 

She frowned at the little bit of scrambled egg, mashed to be nearly unrecognizable, and Kakashi smoothed a hand down her hair, as dark as Naruto's was blond, as he apologized. "Sorry, my girl," he said, "But you'll have a good lunch to make up for it."

Gurgling around the bits of food, Ruriko didn't seem to mind. 

Gai's timing was impeccable. And for all Kakashi knew he shouldn't have been surprised when, exactly twenty minutes later, a loud knock rang out through the apartment, he slightly startled. 

"Who's there?" Naruto questioned, popping his head out of the lounge. 

Ruriko nestled in the crook of a shoulder and Kakashi stopped to nudge Naruto with the tips of his toes, and force him into the passage. "My… friend, Gai-san," he said, offering the boy a convincing eye-smile. "His son is about your age. He's a good kid so be nice to him."

He opened the door to a matching pair of large smiles, and curved his eyes up in return.

"Woah!" Naruto exclaimed, shoving himself in Lee's face before Kakashi could get more than a breath out. "Your eyebrows are REALLY bushy! Yours too, Gai-san!" 

"Naruto," Kakashi chided. Colour drained from his face and, tightening his hand in the back of Naruto's shirt, he tugged the boy to stand behind him. "I'm sorry about. Naruto, please apologize."

"No, no, no. Our eyebrows _are_ really bushy. It's a defining Maito family trait that we wear with pride!" Gai and Lee grinned in unison, giving a thumbs up that seemed practiced for how synchronized it was. 

"But still…" 

Gai settled his hand on Kakashi's arm. "It really is quite alright."

"If you're sure."

Gai nodded. "Of course." Looking down at Lee then, he gestured to Kakashi with a tilt of his head. 

Lee took a large step forward and, thrusting a plate of biscuits into Kakashi's free hand, said, "Kakashi-san, thank you for inviting me to your home!" There was that serious frown again, etching itself cutely into his features. 

"You and Naruto will get along well," he said certainly— they were almost as excitable as each other— and again used his foot to judge Naruto forward. He handed the plate back to Lee. "Naruto can show you to the lounge."

He looked to his father, seeking permission. Gai dipped his head and mouthed a quiet, "Go on."

Quietly, they watched as Naruto slung his arm over Lee's shoulders— an awkward feat for how much shorter Naruto was— and fell into a loud discussion about which was better, _Transformers_ of _Ninja Turtles_ , as they walked through Kakashi's modest apartment. 

Sasuke said _Ninja Turtles,_ he was telling Lee, and Kakashi stifled a laugh.

"What a marvelous child, unafraid to share his opinions with the world!" 

"He's pretty great, yeah," Kakashi agreed. 

He scratched at the nape of his neck. His arm still burned from where Gai had touched him earlier. 

Naruto rounded Lee into the living room, and then it was just them. 

"Hey," trying for casual as he slipped his free hand into his pants pocket, Kakashi readjusted Ruriko and said, "Thanks for coming."

"Any time, Kakashi-san. It's our duty to help those who need it!" Gai exclaimed. And he sounded so genuine, Kakashi wanted to kiss him. Light glittered behind his eyes and he smirked. "Maybe you also looked a little hopeless yesterday and I thought you desperately needed my help."

Kakashi shrugged. Under his collar, he was smiling. "Maybe." 

Ruriko gurgled and Gai turned those same warm, brown eyes on her. He cooed and, holding his arms out, Kakashi let him take her without a question. 

"Oh, what a beautiful child," Gai murmured. 

He brushed fingers over her nose and barked a laugh as she tried to catch his hand. Staying close, he followed Kakashi to the kitchen and barely stray his eyes from the baby in his arms. 

She grabbed and clutched at his eyebrow and Gai burst out laughing, loud and rolling through the room. 

And the more time Kakashi spent with him, the more endearing he became.

"You can put her in the highchair," he said, gesturing vaguely at the pink and yellow eyesore sitting at the head of the island. 

He went to peek in on Lee, Naruto and Naruto's friends to make sure they were getting along. A child as rambunctious as Lee could rile them up and cause a mess. 

Kakashi tugged at his mask. 

His worry was unfounded, it seemed. They seemed to have formed a tight circle and split the biscuits between the four of them. 

Sakura and Naruto stared wide-eyed at Lee animatedly talking about something Kakashi couldn't quite make out— karate, if the way he periodically chopped the air was anything to go by— and Sasuke dusted crumbs off Naruto's sleeve as he pretended not to listen or care. 

Some of the tension eased from his shoulders. 

He walked back to the kitchen and found Ruriko fixed into her chair and Gai looking through his fridge. A rough-hewn satchel had been thrown amongst the half-open packets and containers littering the surface of the counter. 

He turned when he heard Kakashi enter, bumped the door close with the side of his hip. A small smile on his lips, he reached into his bag and pulled out a packet of carrots. "Only the best," he declared handing them over to Kakashi. 

Kakashi took the parcel. Their hands touched for a split second, Gai's rough and warm and gone before Kakashi could savour it. He was desperate for more. 

"You know, I really appreciate it," Kakashi said, quickly peeling and chopping the carrots into pieces small enough for the blender. He lifted his eyes to look at Gai and just as slowly looked away. "I'm just some guy you met yesterday and you don't owe me anything, but you're here. That means a lot."

"Don't mention it. Please." A quiet urge. 

Kakashi's movements stilled. Unthinking and unblinking, he looked at Gai. Finally, offering an obliging nod, he said, "Okay." But the thank you sat heavy on his tongue, and he had to bite down to keep from saying it. 

He switched the blender on. Grateful for the moment of no talking the machine running would give them. 

He enjoyed Gai's company. He still took in as big of a breath he could discreetly take; he still counted to ten. 

Eyes shifting from settling solely on Kakashi's face and taking in the rest of the room, Gai, taking a seat, waited for the carrots to be blended into a thick mash. 

Glad for the mask he always wore, Kakashi fought to keep his mind on the task at hand, because a deep blush burned across his face, he could feel it, and he knew that soon it would travel up the bridge of his nose and colour his skin an even darker shade of brown. 

"How long have you lived here?" Gai asked. 

Kakashi glanced over from emptying out the blender. Gai traced his eyes over the pictures covering the fridge door— Kakashi and Iruka their first day of college, their last day, the fishing trip that had almost ended when Naruto fell into the river, Yamato tipsy and laughing at the camera in his face as Naruto pulled his hair into messy braids and Ruriko gummed at the hand around her. 

So much of his life was on display, and he hadn't even realized. 

He dished some of the carrot mash into a bright blue bowl— rimmed with white and showcasing a display of dancing Winnie the Pooh characters— and stuck a spoon— so small that it always threw him for some kind of loop— into the mess.

"Three years next month," Kakashi said, tapping a stubborn chunk of carrot into the bowl. "I used to move around a lot and living in one place that long is still… kinda unsettling."

"I moved around a lot too. For work, most of the time, but for pleasure too." Gai breathed out. When he spoke again, Kakashi could hear the small smile in his voice. "After Lee came into my life, though, I just couldn't do it anymore. I hope you find that, too, Kakashi-san."

"Find what?" Kakashi asked, standing across from Gai and setting the bowl down. 

"I hope you find something that makes staying in one place worthwhile." 

His heart jumped to his throat and lodged itself there. He felt, in that morning, as Gai looked at him and he could do little but look back, that all his words had escaped him. "Thank you," he said, softly. 

A steady hand reached for the bowl. "May I?" he asked, already pulling it near. 

Kakashi waved a hand. "Go for it."

His movements assured, he pulled a face at Ruriko as he brought the spoon to her mouth. She laughed around the food as Gai fed her. "It's been a while," he said, scrunching up his nose. "I never really got any of this with Lee."

"Hm." Kakashi crossed his arms on the table. "I didn't think Lee was adopted."

"He's not adopted. You see, I was a bit of a hellion in my youth. I hadn't had a serious relationship until I met Lee's mother." He grinned at Ruriko and she returned it with one of her own. "She didn't want children but I always did— it made things difficult for us. When we broke up neither of us knew she was pregnant, she'd tried to tell me but I was never in the same place twice or for too long. By the time I found out about him and he came to live with me, he was already almost a year. And quite grown at that."

"Does he ever see her, his mother?" 

With the hem of his sleeve, Gai wiped away dot of mess from Ruriko chin. "She used to visit more frequently in the beginning, but we both decided it would be best to lessen them, to make it easier for him to transition to living with me. But Lee knows he's loved." 

Gai didn't look his way, but Kakashi could see that his eyes glistened.

He rested his chin in the palm of his hand, and tried for a smile filled with warmth Gai could feel even if he couldn't see. "I'm certain he does." 

Gai smiled at him, and Kakashi had to swallow a cough. "Thank you, sincerely."

They had met less than twenty-four hours ago, and Kakashi wondered if they were being too forward. Talking as if they weren't a step above strangers, at best, sharing and prying into each other's lives. 

He tugged his collar higher up his face, settled further forward on his arms. "Tell me, what do you do when you're not being a doting father?" 

Gai paused. Slowly, ever so slowly, and hand frozen an inch away from Ruriko's mouth, he turned to Kakashi. "Don't tell me you've never heard of the Green Beast of the Hidden Leaf before?" he exclaimed, the spoon dropping into the bowl with a clatter and a splat, raised an enthusiastic thumbs up and beamed. 

"I don't know… Should I have?" 

And Gai laughed. And, God, Kakashi thought he could fall in love with that laugh and the way it crashed into him like a wave of warmth. 

"I've taught karate at the community center for the past four years," Gai said. "But I'm also internationally renowned for my skills. One of the best martial artists in the world, some have even said."

"Ah. So when you said you could beat me in a fight…?" 

"I meant I could almost definitely beat you in a fight."

Sometimes, Kakashi spoke before he thought. Somewhat starstruck, he said, "I thought you seemed strong."

A soft pink touched his face. "I work hard to ensure my body is always at peak performance. Thank you for acknowledging that!" 

He wasn't sure what to say, so he said, "No problem," and felt like an ass. 

Light footsteps sounded from outside the kitchen and Naruto came barrelling. "Kaka-nii-san! Kaka-nii-san!" he shouted, wrapping himself around Kakashi's calf and clinging onto his leg as if his life depended on it. "We want more pizza rolls!" 

"No _please_? No _thank you_?" 

"We want more pizza rolls! Please!" He chewed at the inside of his cheek. Thought. "Thank you!" 

"Sure, sure," Kakashi appeased, as he popped the rolls he hadn't served into the microwave. 

Gai passed a bit of the mashed carrot for Naruto to taste and hid a laugh behind his hand when Naruto made to spit it out. 

He didn't know why Naruto was surprised at the tastelessness; he asked for some nearly every time. And had the same reaction, too.

Naruto wiped his messed hand on Kakashi's pants. Kakashi didn't mind. After the third time Naruto had done it Kakashi decided none of his clothes were nice enough to get ruined anyway. 

"So," Gai asked, scraping up the last bit of mash from the bowl, "What do you do, Kakashi-san?" 

"Oh, Kaka-nii-san!? Kaka-nii-san is the best chef in the whole world!" 

"Best chef in the world, huh?" Gai asked, eyeing the mash and no doubt thinking back to the plates of fingers foods Kakashi had tried to pass off as lunch. 

The microwave dinged to a stop. "He's exaggerating."

"I'm not!" Naruto insisted, shaking his head and holding on tighter. "Even Yamato-san agrees with me. He says nobody makes eggplant miso like you do."

"Yamato is biased." Kakashi handed Naruto the plate and, disentangling him with ease, spun him in a slow half-circle to face the doorway. "And so are you. Go back to your friends."

"Hey! You're no fun!" Naruto complained. He stuck his tongue out and left. 

Gai went to wipe another spot of mess from the corner of Ruriko mouth, and Kakashi circled his fingers around his wrist to stop him. "Here," he said, holding out a cloth, "don't mess your shirt anymore."

"I don't mind." But he took the cloth offered to him anyway. 

Kakashi rested his weight on the island and watched Gai, his thick eyebrows raised and his smile sweet as Ruriko finished her last bite. 

He wanted to tell this man everything about himself. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, "I'm not a chef or anything, and I'm not as good as Naruto claims. I just run a café not far from here. It's small."

"You'll have to cook for me sometime."

"Yeah?" Kakashi asked. He played with the corner of a paper flyer and ran his gaze over every inch of Gai's face. 

"Yeah," he insisted, grinning warmly up at Kakashi.

They watched each other from across the island, deep brown to pale grey. 

Was it appropriate to kiss a man he barely even knew, who was sitting in his apartment with baby food on his sleeve and the most stunning pair of eyes Kakashi had ever seen; so deep and so dark, he wanted to get lost in them?

He didn't know, but he easily could.

He leaned forward and Gai licked at his bottom lip, leaned forward too. It was just a fraction, but the space between them was smaller, and growing smaller still. 

Shrill laughter sounded out from the living room and whatever spell had settled on them broke slowly. 

Gai coughed and scraped the barstool back as he stood. Kakashi wanted to stop him, but he just dipped his head in the empty mimic of a nod.

"We should get going," he said, shrugging his bag over his shoulders. "You'll call me if you need anything else, won't you? I know that looking after children is hard work… It's good to have someone on your side, someone who can bring you carrots when you run out." 

"It's only another week." Kakashi shrugged. He didn't want to be a hindrance, not when he was so attracted to Gai he could barely stand it. "But I'll text you," he said, because an affirmative seemed to be what Gai was waiting for. 

" _Call me!_ Texting might be efficient but it's too impersonal! I want to hear your voice when I'm speaking to you," Gai said. And a blush chased his skin. "You know." 

Ruriko gurgled, reaching her arms high and grabbing for Kakashi. "I'll call you then," he said, looking down at Ruriko as he cradled her to his chest. 

Returning his eyes to Gai, a grin that made Kakashi a little weak in the knees greeted him. 

"I'm counting on it!" he said, his grin sparkling. 

He walked Gai and Lee to the door, and shook the hand Lee offered him on the way out. 

Gai's "Bye bye, angel, bye bye, Naruto-kun," with a pat on each child's head left a gentle smile on Kakashi's lips and a fuzzy warmth in his stomach. 

* * *

That night, exhausted and drained, he ordered dinner and chased Naruto to the bath as soon as they were done. The clock neared nine and, tucking Ruriko into her crib after she'd fallen asleep in his lap, Kakashi decided that cleaning the apartment would be a problem for Sunday them to tackle. 

Ruriko murmured wordlessly in her sleep and Kakashi pressed a small kiss to her forehead. "Goodnight, angel," he said, thinking of Gai. 

Naruto waited in the doorway and, when Kakashi turned to leave, he didn't startle to see the small boy, watching, his blanket held tightly in a small fist and the rest of it dragging on the floor. 

"You okay, kiddo?" Kakashi asked, switching the light off and stepping around him. 

"Can you stay with me 'til I sleep?" 

"Sure," he said, following close behind Naruto. "You missing your dads?" 

Naruto nodded. "Yeah," he murmured. He wiped a stray tear away with the back of his hand. "Dad and Yamato-san always read to me before I sleep."

And Kakashi just settled a hand on his shoulder, pulled Naruto's favourite book from the pile Yamato had sent with him and read to him until his hushed breaths filled the room.

"Goodnight," he whispered, closing the book carefully and kissing Naruto's temple, tucking him in before slipping away. 

* * *

Sunday passed lazily by and when night came and Kakashi put Naruto and Ruriko to bed, he drew his knees to his chest and listened to nothing. Tuned in on the sound of the city falling asleep and the feel of his phone pressed to his ear. 

"Kakashi-san! I hope it isn't another carrot emergency!" Gai began.

Kakashi bit back a small laugh, scratched idly at his chin. "No, no, there's no emergency," he quickly reassured. "I've just. I know you said that you don't mind, but I've been thinking of a way to show you how grateful I am. How do you feel about lunch? On me, of course."

Quiet greeted him from the other end. Kakashi chewed at the inside of his cheek, nipped at his lip, and waited; his stomach twisted, tangled in knots, and he tried his best to ignore it. 

He was being ridiculous. He _knew_ he was being ridiculous. But he couldn't help himself; he wanted this man, and he wanted to spend time with again, and again, and again. 

He opened his mouth to say something, anything; the first thing that popped into his mind, even, no matter how embarrassing. 

"I'd like that," Gai said, simply. So simply Kakashi's heart did a flip in his chest. "A lot actually," he said, and Kakashi didn't want to assume but he was sure he could hear another of his smiles in his voice. "I look forward to seeing you again."

"Me too."

"Goodnight, Kakashi-san," Gai said and Kakashi stared at his phone until it went black of its own accord. 

He couldn't stop smiling; he was smiling as he surrendered himself to sleep. 


End file.
